The latest podcast explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in conveyancing, focusing on its ability to enhance efficiency, reduce administrative burdens, and improve risk management. Host David Opie is joined by Chris Harris, the founder of Collaborative Conveyancing, who shares insights into how AI-driven tools can streamline tasks such as document analysis, inquiry management, and property searches.

A key takeaway is the shift in client expectations, as AI enables faster information retrieval and response times. Clients are increasingly using AI to fact-check legal processes, which raises new challenges for conveyancers in maintaining trust and transparency.

The discussion delves into the ethical considerations and regulatory challenges surrounding AI adoption, emphasizing the importance of human oversight to mitigate risks such as misinformation and data security concerns. While AI can automate routine processes, the necessity for legal expertise remains crucial in complex property transactions.

Chris Harris presents real-world examples of AI applications, including automated inquiry handling and AI-driven voice assistants for conveyancing quotes. While AI will not replace conveyancers, it is poised to reshape workflows, allowing professionals to focus on complex legal matters rather than routine administrative tasks.

Ultimately, the conversation underscores that AI is not a threat but a tool that, when implemented responsibly, can empower conveyancers and enhance the property transaction process.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

The latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast welcomes PJ Singh and George Levett of Conveyancer Plus to discuss how they are working with firms to help them manage their pipelines, and create a consistent pipeline of work, rather than become over-reliant on third part lead sources.

The discussion covers how using outsourced services can bring down complaints around communications (conveyancing is the most complained about areas of consumer of law), ensure consistency in pricing and process, which sets expectations accordingly at the outset of the relationship.

Interestingly, analysis of their service identifies the average call duration with a prospective client is over 8 minutes; and despite the array of communications options (instant messaging, email, live chat etc) George says 80% of enquiries prefer phone calls.

The result is a 95% conversion on estate agent and broker referrals (vs. industry average of 70–80%); near 30% conversion on comparison site leads (vs. typical 5–10%); and 60% conversion on website leads (vs. typical 30–40%).

Only by understanding your numbers in relation to live files and soon-to-be -completed matters can firms be proactive with their business development and ensure they are making data-driven decisions on workload and future bottlenecks.

PJ and George share their experience of working with firms to improve their conversion rates; not just from the point of view of direct engagement with clients, but also the lessons being learnt around what should be on firm's social media, what should be on their websites, and how consumers respond.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

Expert legal trainer Ian Quayle of IQ Legal Training returns in this series of bitesize Today's Conveyancer Podcast episodes to explore a range of topics around conveyancing.

"Transaction Tips" draws on Ian's extensive experience in and around the property sector discussing important topics conveyancers need to be thinking about.

The latest episode considers the bizarre case of Patarkatsishvili and another -v- Woodward-Fisher; better known as the £32.5 million property in London, where the buyer successfully rescinded the contract due to a concealed infestation of clothes moths.

The case serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of full and honest disclosure in the conveyancing process says Ian who provides a comprehensive overview of the case, as well as commentary on the impact for conveyancers when it comes to full disclosure on the TA forms, and the impact on the material information debate.

Ian warns conveyancers to clearly define their role and liability in their retainers, especially when information is shared before formal instruction. He adds misrepresentation—especially fraudulent or reckless—can lead to rescission and damages; Conveyancers must be cautious in advising clients and should avoid assuming liability for pre-instruction disclosures; and reminds us the case underscores the growing importance of transparency, due diligence, and clear legal boundaries in property transactions.

Ian will be back throughout the rest of the year with more Transaction Tips on the Today's Conveyancer Podcast. For information about the training Ian runs please visit www.todaysmedia.co.uk/todays-legal-training.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

Following the publication of The Law Society Climate Change Risk Property Practice Note Today's Conveyancer Podcast host David Opie speaks to former Groundsure CEO and now consultant to the market Dan Montagnani about what the Practice Note does, and critically, doesn't include and what action property lawyers might take as a result.

Building on the guidance published in 2022, the Practice Note provides property-specific outcomes with clarity no doubt welcomed as it helps define the boundaries of legal responsibility and provides a framework for managing client expectations.

Historically, climate risk in UK property law has focused heavily on flooding. However, the new guidance broadens the scope to include:

Wildfires – increasingly common in the UK, with recent events on Dartmoor and the Manchester Moors.
Drought and water stress – which can affect ground stability and infrastructure.
Heat stress – particularly in urban environments, impacting livability and energy efficiency.

While flooding remains a significant concern (with one in six UK properties at risk), the legal and practical implications of these other issues are becoming more pronounced and must be considered in property transactions.

And it's important to say this is not being driven by the search industry, adds Dan, highlighting the work ongoing across surveying (surveyors and lawyers share a collective responsibility to inform clients) lending and insurance sectors where climate risk is being factored in decision-making driven by both market forces and regulatory pressure.

As has been said before, the guidance reinforces that property lawyers are not expected to assess climate risks themselves but are responsible for:

• Identifying when a property may be affected by climate-related risks.
• Advising clients to seek further information, such as through environmental or climate-specific searches.
• Ensuring clients understand the implications, particularly regarding insurance availability, mortgage lending, and long-term property value.

Importantly, lawyers should clearly define the scope of their services in the retainer, especially if they choose to exclude climate risk advice. However, doing so may require significant effort to ensure clients understand the consequences of that exclusion.

In terms of market acceptance Dan draws parallels with the evolution of contaminated land searches, which took a decade to become standard practice. He predicted that climate searches will become routine much faster due to the availability of the data, regulatory momentum and greater consumer pressure.

By embracing climate risk assessments, clearly communicating with clients, and leveraging available data, conveyancers can not only protect themselves from liability but also enhance the quality and integrity of their service he concludes.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

In the regular quarterly update looking at the latest statistics from Landmark, Today's Conveyancer Podcast host David Opie is joined by Ben Robinson and Rob Gurney of Landmark to pore over the latest Property Trends report covering the first quarter of 2025.

Given the changes to stamp duty thresholds on 1st April 2025 there is no surprise the first quarter of the year has seen a sizeable increase in the number of completions, up 30% in the first quarter year-on-year and a staggering 71% on March 2024.

And the good news keeps on coming with key indicators of continuing stability looking positive for the remainder of 2025; including an 8% rise in mortgage valuation volumes year on year driven by greater interest rate stability (the podcast was recorded just before the Bank of England rates cut announcement on 8th May). Sold Subject to Contract (SSTC) activity was also up month-on-month, with the 4.4% increase suggesting new activity entering the pipeline regardless of SDLT changes.

Summary of Q1 year-on-year activity for England and Wales:

• Listing volumes up 1%
• SSTC down 9%
• Search order volumes up 8%
• Completions up 30%

Listen in to this shorter podcast for the latest insight and opinion.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

Since Labour came to power 12 months ago they have made home ownership one of their key messages. The headlines have focused on their ambitions to build 1.5m new homes over the course of this Parliament and in February they announced they would be 'modernising' home buying and selling process to make it fit for the 21st Century; but what does it really mean for conveyancers?

The latest Today's Conveyancer podcast welcomes two protagonists who are involved in these efforts Nick Chadbourne, CEO of LMS, and Angela Hesketh, Head of Market Development at PEXA who both join the discussion in their roles representing the Open Property Data Association (OPDA).

In the short term there are two ongoing projects; a A 12-week assessment of the needs of industry, specifically around data sharing and standardisation.

The second project is led by Land Registry, and aims to digitise data points managed by central government and local authorities with the ambition to streamline data access and improve efficiency

The OPDA's role is on creating the framework both for collecting and storing data associated with property transactions; and subsequently enabling it to be shared and relied upon. Nick describes the process as providing a 'vouch' validating its origin and reliability, allowing conveyancers to make informed decisions without extensive rechecking.

ID has been widely touted as a user case; instead of verifying ID 3,4,5 times throughout a transaction it can instead be verified once and relied upon thereafter. There are specific issues particular to property explains Angela, and work is ongoing to create a supplementary code to existing digital identity legislation that meets these unique needs.

Both Nick and Angela are excited about the potential; a world in which conveyancers can trust the data they receive and focus on delivering a high-quality service without the burden of extensive verification and reverification. Alongside bringing more of that verified data to the fore at the outset of the transaction and being able to rely upon it, this shift would allow conveyancers to concentrate on their core responsibilities and improve the overall customer journey.

Listen in to hear how the government's modernisation agenda is shaping up and how it impacts conveyancers and the wider property profession.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

The latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast welcomes workplace culture and staff retention specialist Andre Thomas of Thomas Telman to discuss the critical importance of cultivating a positive workplace culture and the direct impact this has on staff retention and overall business success.

The firm has created a empirical methodology by which culture can be measured through engagement surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews. He identifies 15 key data points for assessing culture, including career development, psychological safety, retention rates, and recruitment costs. By gathering both quantitative and qualitative data, firms can gain a comprehensive understanding of their workplace culture and identify areas for improvement.

Throughout the discussion Andre shares some of the detail of this methodology which can reduce the likelihood of errors and claims (engaged and satisfied employees are less likely to make mistakes), create positive cultures where employees feel valued, and aligned with the company's values increasing productivity, and plays a sizeable role in attracting and retaining top talent and ultimately improving profitability.

Andre Thomas explains that many firms fail to take culture seriously due to a lack of clear definition and measurement. He argues that culture is not about superficial perks like table tennis tables or bean bags but about the genuine employee experience. Conversely, a toxic culture is marked by poor communication, lack of psychological safety, and high turnover.

He encourages firms to be open about their findings and involve employees in the process of making improvements; trust and transparency are the foundations of a positive workplace culture, which in turn drives staff retention and business success.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

In the latest episode of the Today's Conveyancer podcast, host David Opie welcomes Rob Gurney, Managing Director of Ochresoft to discuss how long conveyancing actually takes; and why lower the lower transaction volumes of the last couple of years haven't seen corresponding falls in completion times.

A new report from Landmark which interrogates the data held in the Ochresoft conveyancing workflows shows despite lower transaction volumes and advancements in technology, the time taken for property transactions has doubled since 2007. The average time from instruction to completion has increased from 85 days in 2007 to 160 days in 2024 for sales, and from 75 days to 120 days for purchases.

There is, says Rob, a need for fundamental changes in the conveyancing process, including early instruction of lawyers and the adoption of technology. Rob has previously been on the Today's Conveyancer podcast discussing the perfect contract pack; conveyancing nirvana, where unnecessary enquiries are eradicated, and the process is streamlined to meet modern consumer expectations.

For the time being issues around staffing (a 15% fall in qualified conveyancing numbers since the pandemic has caused bottlenecks); increased responsibility during the transaction meaning conveyancers now deal with roughly double the number of requirements they previously did; and regulatory changes including AML and BSA all have an impact on timelines.

But there are factors within conveyancers' control says Rob, suggesting the earlier instruction of lawyers would go some way to streamlining the process later down the line. Instruction at the point of listing provides time to prepare documentation and data in advance. With search turnarounds now down to c.10 days, fewer complaints can be made about delays here, but ordering them in good time will help.

And despite an 8 day reduction in the time it takes to deal with pre-contract enquiries between 2023 and 2024, the current 52-day average is double the time it took in 2007.

Let's not forget, concludes Rob, we're all trying to achieve the same thing and no one gets paid until the transaction completes. For estate agents, shorter transaction times mean faster pipeline turnover and increased revenue. For lenders and consumers, delays can lead to financial losses due to expiring mortgage offers and changing interest rates. And for conveyancers faster transactions means better fees and happier clients.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.